After battling it out for 45 minutes, the Razorbacks basketball season came to an end last night, losing to Texas Tech 85-83 in overtime.
Arkansas basketball vs Texas Tech: Sweet Sixteen
For all intents and purposes, Arkansas was dominant for the first 36 minutes of the game. The Hogs jumped out to a decent lead, led by Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis’ electric first-half performance. With 14 points, Davis led all scores heading into the locker room, shooting blank 50 percent from the field and the three-point line.
Davis wasn’t the only one to join in on the three-point frenzy. As a team that struggled to knock down shots from deep, the Razorbacks hit seven three-point shots in the first half. Karter Knox was perfect from the arc, going 3/3. Trevon Brazile and DJ Wagener also had a clutch threes in the first period. Unfortunately, the Hogs didn't have the same luck inside the arc, only making three of their 15 shots.
On the other hand, Texas Tech couldn’t find the bucket to save their lives. Arkansas‘s defense forced the Red Raiders to play faster than they’re used to, and their half-court offense never found a rhythm in halftime. However, they did find success down low with JT Toppin and Kevin Overton, who came off the bench.
Again, the Razorbacks came out on fire in the second half. Arkansas stretched to lead to 16 with 10 minutes left to go in the game, but like Hog fans have seen all season, Arkansas gave up the massive late-game lead. Tech began to shoot the three-ball better, but Arkansas‘s frontcourt had no answer for Darrion Williams in the post down the stretch and Christian Anderson, who got hot from deep late in the game and scored 17 second-half points.
Red Raiders managed to cut the lead to three, and with less than 10 seconds on the clock in regulation, Williams had a clutch three to tie the game. With as good as they’re shooting had been late in the game, it’s surprising Arkansas didn’t foul to take away Tech’s ability to tie it up.
Nevertheless, Arkansas never stopped fighting as the game went into overtime. But the same players for Texas Tech who implemented their massive comeback shined through in the extra period, putting the Red Raiders up by two with seven seconds left. DJ Wagner tried to take the ball coast-to-coast but was stopped right inside the arc and missed the midrange jumper.
Our dance is done pic.twitter.com/BL17e7Thvj
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) March 28, 2025
Arkansas was the best team on the court for 36 minutes, but in the end, Texas Tech deserved to win. They fought to the bitter end and took full advantage of their opportunities. But the Hogs shouldn't hang their heads. They fought all season to get to this point, starting 0-5 in conference play, but finishing three points short of an Elite Eight run is nothing to be ashamed of.